Thousands of people could avoid controversial face-to-face disability benefits assessments in the new Scottish social security system, the Greens have claimed.

The party said changes they made to legislation setting up the devolved Scottish welfare benefits system scraps these tests, unless there is no other means to obtain the information.

A Freedom of Information request made to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) shows face-to-face assessments have soared since the introduction of the personal independence payment (PIP).

The party also said these appraisals are "cruel, humiliating and, in many cases, entirely unnecessary".

Under the disability living allowance (DLA) system, 6 per cent of applications required the applicant to undergo a medical assessment while for PIP applications 80 per cent required a face-to-face assessment.

Since PIP began in 2013, 372,000 Scots have applied, which the Greens said suggests around 300,000 have had an in-person assessment.

Tests are deemed 'unnecessary' and 'cruel' (Image: Getty Images)

Read More

Ms Johnstone, who received the unanimous backing of the Scottish Parliament for her legislative amendment to scrap assessments where possible, said: "Figures published show just how many people are now being forced to undergo benefits assessments that are cruel, humiliating and, in many cases, entirely unnecessary.

"The old DLA system managed to make decisions on the vast majority of claims without putting people through in-person assessments, yet the PIP system does almost entirely the opposite.

"There is scope to reduce the number of disability benefits assessments that so many Scots have to suffer through.

"Putting tens of thousands of people a year through assessments which worsen their health conditions and exacerbate their disabilities, have cost £512 million and are overturned on appeal 60 per cent of the time is an absolutely unacceptable situation which must end, and